Rental fraud suspect pleads no contest to felony grand theft

The Monterey County District Attorney’s Office announced that Veronica Lopez pled no contest to a felony grand theft charge from when Lopez used a fake rental advertisement on Craigslist which was used to con two people into paying her a rental deposit.

The case began on July 12, 2016 when Salinas Police Department received calls from people reporting that someone posed as a Salinas homeowner offering a house for rent on Craigslist.

Two of the fraud victims said they both met with Lopez and she said the property could be rented for $1,500 per month, but that she would require an up-front “deposit.” One person paid $1,000 to Lopez.

Upon further investigation both victims found out that Lopez didn’t own the property and it was not for rent.
Veronica Lopez will be sentenced on September 19, 2017.